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4 A group of Montclair, New Jersey, men, led by Mayor Howard F. Ashton was alleged to be acting as a figurehead for Dunn, who was eventually accused of “syndicate baseball,” a practice of holding stock in multiple teams that clearly represented a conflict of interest and a competitive advantage. Landis was also believed to be interested in the sale of the International League’s Newark Bears, owned by William Ashton of Baltimore, who allegedly bought the team with money he received from Baltimore Orioles owner Jack Dunn. 3 (Stoneham was accused of giving false testimony to investigators of Fuller’s collapse.) Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, commissioner of baseball, checked into New York’s Commodore Hotel on December 1, although his reason for being there was left to conjecture, including that of one reporter who admitted “the purpose of the Judge’s errand was something of a mystery.” 2 Speculation was that Landis was to meet with NL President John Heydler to discuss the possible retirement of New York Giants owner Charles Stoneham, whose indictment had embarrassed baseball. Fuller & Company bankruptcy case, 1 and a Pacific Coast League president who had been ousted by a controversial majority vote but refused to go down without a fight. As November rolled into December 1923, Organized Baseball found itself with much on its plate, including a National League owner who had been indicted for perjury by a federal grand jury in the E.M.